Glad the Shutdown’s Over? Thank Workers, Not Just Nancy Pelosi

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The longest government shutdown in American history is over for now. On Friday afternoon, Donald Trump announced a deal to reopen government for the next three weeks. The short-term appropriations measure notably includesno fundingfor his beloved border wall — or steel slat fence, or smart wall, or whatever else he decides to call it in the future. It’s a major loss for Trump, who campaigned on being the king of the deal and had repeatedly insisted he would not reopen government without funding for the wall. He is not quite ready to admit total defeat, as NBC Newsreportedon Friday. “We really have no choice but to build a powerful wall or a steel barrier,” he said in his Rose Garden speech. “If we don’t get a fair deal from Congress, the government will either shut down again on February 15, or I will use the powers afforded to me under the laws and the Constitution of the United States to address this emergency.”

A national emergency is the only card Trump has left to play. He has no other leverage left. Two parties deserve credit for the president’s humiliating defeat. One is Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who mostly kept her party united as Trump dug in his heels.